Lauren Rutten describes herself as the following:

Explorer. Artist. Photographer. Educator. Writer. Swashbuckling World Traveler.

Her career in photography began in 1986 and she has followed a very interesting path that includes not only the visual medium but also the written one. Lauren’s art and writing reflects her deep appreciation of everyday life and seeks to connect, empower and inspire others through her art. In 2013, Lauren took time away from her photography business and fulfilled a life-long dream of traveling solo around the world. In May of 2014, Lauren became a facilitator of the Amherst Writer's and Artists Workshops.

So, this is who is coming to speak at Inspire Photo Retreats in February, 2015, friends! I had an opportunity to chat with Lauren about her work and of course about her presentation at Inspire Photo Retreats:

There are still a few spots open for Inspire Photo Retreats. Register here today. You'll come in contact with people like Lauren who bring a gamut of skills and experiences to enrich your life.

If you are a photographer who use off-camera flashes to photograph weddings or portraits, you are my kind of people. You like to create punchy images that separates your subjects from their backgrounds and make them truly stand out. Am I right?

The Problem

But we all experience a well-known scenario.

There you are, ready to make some sweet images of a wedding couple dancing the night away at their reception.

Your assistant or VALS (voice-activated light stand) is away in the Bahamas. You need to move that off-camera light down and out by about 32 degrees because your clients are losing themselves to the music and have moved from where you thought they would be to this new spot, near Uncle Bob and Aunt Maddy.

But you are about 30 feet away from the couple and the off-camera light you set up with a PocketWizard or a RadioPopper is another 10 feet away from them, making it near impossible for you to move like Spiderman to adjust the light angle and or direction. You are SOL.

Frustrating, right? I know your pain. I have felt it. Often.

The Solution

Thankfully, there is a new solution coming and it's called Panlight. I spoke with Mike Garrard, its inventor a few weeks back. As a Kickstarter campaign, it has already surpassed the goal he set. With only about 18 hours to go before the end of the campaign, this is the time to jump in and order one of these units. I am doing it myself because this is a tool that will come in handy if you are a wedding or a portrait photographer.

Now imagine you impressing the heck out of your clients by being able to adjust that off-camera flash remotely, from where you are standing. Can you feel that pain melt away? Your assistant could be sipping drinks on a beach for all you care, but you will be making bank with all the great images you will be creating for your clients. Sorry, but VALS may indeed become dinosaurs if you begin to use the Panlight. Plus, you won't have to jump around and get in Uncle Bob or Aunt Maddy's grid, like you used to. And, if those two had cameras anyway, you can wish them the best of luck as you go from one amazing lighting scenario to the next. Who wins? You do.

The Win

Yes, it can be that simple. Skip on out of this blog and check out Panlight now on Kickstarter or on the Panlight website, to learn more. But remember, once the Kickstarter campaign ends, prices will go up.

A special thanks to Kate McElwee, a Boston-based wedding photographer who introduced me to Mike Garrard of Panlight. And yes, she is backing this campaign as well.

Arielle Doneson is a wedding photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She prefers to shoot film over digital. That alone should pique your interest in our chat below.

Arielle is also going to be presenting at Inspire Photo Retreats. It's in Portland, Maine. I hope you will join us. Spots are limited and they are on track to sell out. I strongly suggest you register for this truly unique conference today.

Please take a moment to view and enjoy Arielle's lovely wedding photography below:

Amazing right? Click the graphic below and you'll be quickly transported to the Inspire Photo Retreats website where you can find out more about the gathering and you can sign up to attend. If you are in the intimate crowd who will be attending, please do come up to me and say hello!!

Jason Grubb, a wedding photographer in Denver, Colorado has strategically increased his Instagram followers and converted some of them into paying clients. Having a significantly smaller following on that social medial site, I was intrigued to learn more from him.

While our chat was short, I trust you will find a ton more useful and actionable information from Jason during his ShootDotEdit webinar on December 3. Find out more here.

Oh, and do follow him on Instagram too!

Lastly, do take a moment to check out Jason and Gina's wedding photography below.

I also invite you to visit their website. They are pretty specific about who they are, who they serve and what kind of photography they happen to create for those people they attract. This is “specialism” in action folks and I love how they have brought it all together.

Update: If you missed it, you can can the recorded version of the webinar with Jason Grubb here. Simply register on the site and you will be notified when it is ready to view.